We see a lot of horny kids here, think to our self's, it was not that way when I was a kid.
Well it got me researching a bit.
I found this interesting
“In North America age at menarche decreased by three to four months each decade after 1850; in 1988 the median age at menarche was 12.5 years among US girls” { 1}

Then I found this very disturbing
“In 1997, the journal Pediatrics published a study conducted from July 1992 to September 1993 of 17,077 girls, ages 3 to 12, strongly suggesting that outward signs of early sexual growth appeared by age 8 in 15 percent of the white girls and close to 50 percent of black girls. The study did not evaluate boys or other race groups. Some pediatric endocrinologists, however, say more research is needed to define precocious puberty.
There is no definitive answer to why early puberty occurs, although health professionals and scientists strongly suspect obesity. Among children ages 6 to 11 in this country, 13 percent are overweight. That's almost double the number 25 years ago. “ {2}

Thoughts folks? -- Savage
{1} Chapter 1.2: Falling Age at Puberty, Population Reports, Series J, Number 41 (http://www.infoforhealth.org/pr/j41/j41chap1_2.shtml)
{2} Onset of puberty occurring earlier in girls (http://rockymountainnews.org/livingarts/youth/26pgrow.html)

Obesity is a thought as many girls begin their periods at around 100 pounds.

Another school of thought is sunlight. Girls in the southern regions who have a lot of sunlight seem to start earlier.

I don't necessarily have all the info on these two thoughts, other than this was discussed in my developmental psychology courses and nursing school.

Maybe I will have some better info next semester when I go through pediatrics.

I have heard this but it is not something I have given much thought to.

What I think about when I hear these kinds of stats, is the fact that we never had the luxury of studies going back in history, for us to really be able to come to a truly valid conclusion. As currently as 100 year ago, girls were generally getting their periods by the time they were 12, at the latest. If you really think about it, most young women historically were married off by the time they were 16. Going back further in time, some were married as young as 8 or 9. In any event, you have to figure that they came into their menses by that age for them to be considered marriage material.

If it truly is tied into weight, then we do have a serious problem. The logical conclusion would be, as we live longer, wouldn't it make sense that our bodies would develop as adults later, rather than earlier?

I don't know that it truly is about weight, however, it is one theory. I do know that my daughter and each of her friends started when they were right at 100 pounds. My niece who is sadly obese started at age 8 and she was 110 pounds at the time.

As I said it is only a theory I learned in Developmental psych and was touched upon briefly in my courses so far.

Ruby dear, you do make some very good points though.

Retrotia, I will be in peds and OB next semester I am sure my 2007-2008 book will hve more updated facts and figures.